It is with a heavy heart that we let you know that SISD's Transportation Director, Joe Martinez, passed away last night.
As a way to show our love to their family, we will be accepting financial donations next week at the business office. The funds will be given to the family to be used as needed. Feel free to drop it off Monday - Thursday 8:00am - 5:00 pm.
There is also a meal train set up for the family. You can sign up for the meal train with the following link: https://takethemameal.com/WOHH1512
Please keep Joe's family in your prayers.
Congratulations to Emily Vigil for being recognized by Superintendent, Dan Gist, for her many accomplishments. Emily recently received the highest rating at the state solo and ensemble contest. She is among the "Lynx Elite!"
LYNX FOOTBALL CAMP
We're thrilled to report that our Lynx Kids Football Camp was a success! This year's camp boasted a fantastic group of kids from grades 2-9 who got to enjoy three days full of competitive football and the chance to learn new offensive and defensive skills. We have no doubt that our future looks bright with such a gifted group of young athletes. We want to express our gratitude to all the parents who allowed their children to participate and we're already looking forward to next year's camp. Thanks again!
Spearman ISD is hiring! Please go to spearmanisd.net - EMPLOYMENT Portal to view all open positions. Apply online today!
https://spearmanisd.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx
To ensure that children continue receiving delicious and nutritious meals throughout the summer Spearman ISD will continue its annual free summer meals program. The free meals are made possible through the federally funded Summer Food Service Program.
Participating families do not have to apply, register or provide identification. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds the Summer Meals Program. The Texas Department of Agriculture administers the Summer Meals Program in Texas.
From May 30 through June 23, all kids up to age 18 and adults with special needs up to age 21 can receive free breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday at:
Gus Birdwell Elementary
511 S. Townsend Street
Times:
Breakfast 7:30am - 8:30 am
Lunch 11:00am - 12:00pm
For more information visit www.summerfood.org.
If your GBE student completed the "Ike Challenge," shirts are available for pickup at the elementary office beginning Tuesday, May 30th, from 8am-9:30am or 11:30am-12:30pm.
SHS students have arrived in Belize. Special thanks to Mrs. Reagan and Mr. And Mrs. Turner for serving as trip sponsors.
Best of luck to our Mighty Lynx Band UIL State Qualifiers!!
Matthew Barnes
Adrian Briones
Jasmin Briones
Jordan Guzman
Erik Martinez
Angel Mendoza
Ayden Peigne
Erick Reyes
Emilio Reyes
Ava Salgado
Emily Vigil
#LYNXNATION
Come cheer on the state solo and ensemble members as they leave for state.
Junior High-8th grade students:
Promotion picture forms may be turned in to the Junior High office or High School office this week. You will have until Friday, May 26th, or your form can be mailed to Western Photo 1408 S. Washington Amarillo, Tx 79102
Twelve high school students will be advancing to state in band solo and ensemble. Congratulations!!
The send off will be Thursday, May 25th at 7:00 am.
IT’S GRADUATION DAY‼️ 🎓
The Class of 2023 High School Graduation will be live-streamed through the Spearman Lynx & Lynxettes YouTube Channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@SpearmanLynxLynxettes/streams
A reception was held in honor of Michael Rountree at the Spearman High School library. He is retiring after twenty-eight years in the profession. Rountree has taught a variety of subjects in grades 4-12 and was an elementary principal prior to teaching in Spearman. He moved to Spearman in 2011 and completed his teaching career as a high school social studies teacher.
Rountree was selected at the Texas Rural Education Association Teacher of the Year in 2019. He recently was selected as the high school May recipient for the Teachers on the Rise award. One of his many accomplishments is being a published author of three children’s books: Gunpowder, Tales of a Wise Cracking Cowpony, Gunpowder the Cowpony Goes to Cowboy School, and Gunpowder, Rivals on the Ranch. His first book, Gunpowder, Tales of a Wise Cracking Cowpony won the Mom’s Choice Award Juvenile Books Fiction, which honors excellence in family-friendly media, products, and services. His most recent publication, Reining in Educator Stress, is a book for educators on classroom management.
Each month, the students who are selected Lion’s Club Student of the Month have the opportunity to list their most influential high school teacher. Rountree has been granted that award many times throughout his career in Spearman.
Congratulations on your many years of service in education. You have truly made a difference in the lives of students and adults too. You will be missed!
The Lynx Elite is a superintendent award program that started in 2022. The Lynx Elite are students who go above and beyond shining a light on SISD. The high school students have qualified and placed at the state level or have been given a state recognition award.
Band members who qualified for state will be competing at the end of May. Members who qualified in the top will be recognized as a Lynx Elite at the June board meeting.
Spearman High School graduation is Friday, May 19th at 6 p.m. in the junior high school gymnasium. Please join us in congratulating the Class of 2023!
We would like to congratulate our Spearman Junior High May Students of the Month:
6th grade- Tanya Davila & Connor Lozano
7th grade- Adley Barclay & Isaias Avila
8th grade- Celeste Garcia & Adler Vasquez
These students have exemplified what we strive to be as students at Spearman Junior High. Each month teachers will choose one male and one female from each class to represent SJH.
Gordon’s and 216 Main are celebrating our students with a drink and cookie each month.
New board members, Dustin Mackie and Scott Sonnenberg, were sworn in at the SISD Board of Education meeting.
In the year 2010, the United States dedicated May 18th as National Speech Language Pathologist Day. Macy Beedy has been a speech-language pathologist for thirteen years. She has worked her entire career in the school setting.
Beedy wears many hats and juggles her responsibilities well. “My primary job as the school speech-language pathologist is to serve students with a speech impairment, or suspected speech impairment. That includes stuttering, articulation, language or voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Most people picture me helping students who can’t say a certain sound, such as the “R” sound. Although that is a part of my job, it is only a part of my job. I wear lots of hats and get to work with a variety of students.” She added,” I perform evaluations, develop treatment plans, and then provide intervention/therapy. Intervention services may be provided to students individually, in small groups, or in the general education classroom. The type of intervention students receive is based on their needs.”
“One of my favorite parts of my job is providing support and tips to parents, so they can work on carrying over the skills their child is working on at school and in speech therapy to home. Some of our students have made incredible growth this year and the reason is because of this partnership. Seeing parents, teachers, and everyone working for and with a student TOGETHER and the growth that has come from that for the sake of a child, has been a beautiful experience,” smiled Beedy.
Any person that works in the school system has a funny story to share. Beedy shared, “Several years ago I had a student who wasn’t very verbal but always had a smile on his face. I was wearing some new eye makeup and as soon as he walked into my classroom he pointed to my eyes and then his own eyes and said “Ouch!” He kept repeating it “ouch, ouch, ouch” while pointing to my eyes. I finally understood he was referring to my new makeup, so I said, “Yes, it’s just new makeup! Do you like it?” He shook his head no and just continued to say “ouch” while pointing at my eyes for our entire session that day. Needless to say, the new eye makeup was tossed out as soon as I got home from school!”
Student success stories become favorite memories. “I was working with an upper elementary student who stuttered and was very self-conscious about it. We worked on strategies, but we also worked on confidence, acceptance, and being proud of who and how God made us, because He has never made a mistake. I showed him a video of President Joe Biden speaking about his own struggles with stuttering. It was very eye opening to this child and led to great conversation. No matter anyone’s political opinion of a person, to a child who struggles with confidence because of their speech, seeing a man be able to become President of the United States of America in spite of the same speech struggle, it showed that this child could do anything he set his mind to. It was as if a light bulb came on and almost immediately his confidence grew. He was dismissed from speech therapy shortly after because there was nothing more for us to discuss or for me to teach him. My heart still beams for this student, as it does all my students,” reminisced Beedy.
You may not know that during Beedy’s freshman year in high school pole vaulting was added as an event for girls track. Beedy and her friend were the first girl pole vaulters in Spearman High School history. Between the two of them, they took turns breaking the school record! Beedy is still athletic and flexible. A fun hidden talent she shares is her ability to close praying hands behind her back up between her shoulder blades!
SISD is proud of you and your many accomplishments.
Spearman Lynx Basketball Camp July 10-12!
Open to boys & girls!
Congratulations to the Class of 2023! We wish you all the best on your new journey! Remember, once a Lynx, always a Lynx!
